Low emission zones ‘could be brought in’

MOTORISTS could be charged for driving into Cardiff as part of bold proposals to clean up the city’s polluted air.

London-style Low Emission Zones are being looked at by Cardiff council after the Welsh Government told the authority it had to tackle pollution in the city.

The zones are among a range of measures the council is looking at, including a cycle ‘super highway,’ turning the whole city into a 20mph zone and introducing an ticketing system similar to Oyster Cards.

Different types of low-emission zones will be looked at as part of the council’s consultation, including charging differing amounts for certain vehicles and Oxford’s model – which will ban petrol and diesel vehicles entering the city from 2020.

But what is a low-emission charge and how do they work in other towns and cities?

London operates three different charges for vehicles entering the city centre – Low Emission Zones, the Congestion Charge and the T-Charge.

Low Emission Zones operate 24-hoursa-day, every day of the year and only applies to large vehicles such as lorries, coaches and vans which don’t meet emissions standards. It does not apply to cars, motorbikes or vehicles which do not run on diesel.

Congestion charges apply to most vehicles travelling in central London between 7am and 6pm on Monday to Fridays, excluding public holidays. The current charge is £11.50 a day.

Residents living in or near the congestion zone charge can get discounts of 90 per cent and cars which emit 75g/km of carbon dioxide or less can avoid the charge altogether.

The T-Charge is for older, more polluting vehicles and add an extra £10 per day to the existing Congestion Charge zone.

And some London motorists are also going to be landed with yet another charge. An ultra low emission zone will be in place around the clock in central London and charge an extra £12.50 for cars, vans and motorbikes which do not meet Euro petrol and diesel standards.

Oxford is looking to go one further than London by becoming the world’s first zero-emissions zone. From 2020, it wants to begin an outright ban on petrol and diesel taxis, cars, light commercial vehicles and buses from driving on a small number of streets in the city centre. By 2035 all nonelectric vehicles, including HGVs could be banned from entering the whole of the city centre.

Milan’s Area C congestion charge applies every day but Saturday from 7.30am7.30pm – except on Thursday when it ends at 6pm. Every vehicle is charged five euro a day, regardless of emissions – residents still have to pay but can get the charge discounted to two euro up to 40 times per year.

The Swedes try to cut down on pollution and traffic queues in their capital city by using a different model – by charging a congestion tax.

The tax, for Stockholm’s inner city and Essingeleden motorway, applies from 6.29am-6.30pm every day except weekends, public holidays, the day before bank holidays or the month of July.

How much a vehicle pays depends on the time of day they enter the zones and whether they enter the inner city or the motorway.